Ore crushing and amalgamating mill.



-D. W. CHURCH. OPE CHUSHNG AND AMALGAMATING NHLL..

UNITED sTATEs DAVID W. CHURCH, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN E ASSIGNMENTS,

Y TO RUDOLPH A. DALLUGGE, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ORE CRUSHING AND AMALGAMA'IING MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 141, 1918.

, Application led November 22, 1916. Serial No. 132,789.

- To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DAVID W. CHURCH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at San Diego, in the vcounty of San Diego and State of California, have nvented a new and useful OreCrushing and Amalgamating Mill, of which the following is a specification. f

This invention` relates to an improvement on the type of ore crushing and amalgamating mill disclosed in the United States patent to Viswell No. 307,513, dated Nov. 4, v

1884:, in which the crushing and grinding rolls are provided with inclinedinner and outer faces which roll on the inclinedwalls of an annular trough. Such mills have been found subject to serious objections, which have heretofore prevented their successful use. One of the objectionable features in the operation of a mill of the VVisWell type is that the mercury used forr amalgamation quickly becomes floured by the grinding action ofthe rolls, which, in said mill, work down into the bottom of the trough formed by the inclined walls of the bed or die, so as engage the mercury therein and grind it withv the ore and water. Furthermore the said rolls, working more or less closely in contact with both inner and outer Walls of 30 thetrough, causeexcessiveI displacement and agitation of the pulp or mixture of ground ore and water, in such manner that a por* tion of the material is liable to be splashed over the outlet or overiow before it is thoroughly ground and deprived of its values.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a crushing and amalgamating mill in which the rolls will be held clear of the mercury or quicksilver so as to avoid flouring of the latter. Another object of the invention is to retain the rolls in contact with or effectively adjacent to the inner inclined wall of the trough of the mill, and suiiiciently separated from the other inclined farther wall thereof to permit flow of the pulp between the rolls andthe farther wall, thereby preventing undue displacement and agitation. i t

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of my invention, and referring thereto:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the mill, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

The mill comprises a bed or die 1, formed with an annular trough 2, having inclined inner and outer` walls 3 and 4, so that the trough is Vsshapedk in cross section. Suitable means, not shown are provided for feeding ore and water to one side of said trough and suitable outlet or overflow means 5, provided with screens 6 may be provided forl discharging the waste pulp at the other side of the -mill. Rolls or wheels 7 are mounted to run on the inner wall or face of the trough 2, said rolls being fast on-the respective shafts 8 which are mounted to revolvewith a vertical central post or shaft 9.- Said shaft 9 is mounted to turn in suitable bearings and is provided withv means such as gears 10 and 11 for driving the same. A frame 13 on shaft 9 carries vertical guides 14 for bearing blocks 15 in which the respective shafts 8 are journaled. Said shafts 8 are mounted loosely at their inner ends in sockets 17 in a member 19 on shaft 9, so

`down so as -to tend to hold the rolls 7 in contact with the inner facefor wall 3 of the annular trough or with the ore material thereon. Radial movement of the shafts 8 and of the rolls 7 carried thereby is however prevented or limited by means on said shafts S engaging with blocks 15, said means consisting, for example, of anti-friction washers 22 engaging with said blocks and a set collar 23 fastened on shaft S by set screws 24 or otherwise. The shafts 8 are thereby held from outward movement in such manner that the rolls or wheels 7 carried thereby are retained in contact with or positioned adjacent to the inner inclined wall of trough 2, so that the lower edge or periphery of the roll is not permitted to work down into the lowermost part of the trough containing the quicksilver, indicated at 28, but is held clear thereof and also separated from the outer wall or face of the trough. Frame 13 is preferably mounted to slide vertically on shaft 9, being connected thereto by a spline connection 13.

If necessary in any particular case, brace 105 The vertically movable bearing blocks 15' and the brace means therefor, hold the shafts 8 .andthe rolls carried thereby inwardly toward the axis 'of rotation of the carrier,

without interfering with the verticalmotion of the rolls. Blocks'15 may have lateral flanges 15, engaging the inner faces of guides 14: to take'radial pressure.'V

ofthe rolly andtrough faces at .the front of each roll' is such lthat theore material is fcrowdedrbetween the inneifi-nclinedface of and by 'holding'the roll towardy or -in contact the rolland the inner wall 3 of the trough,

with such inner wall, the ore is effectively rcrushed and ground between the .roll and Vwall ordie face, and the'circ'ulation of the pulp by the action of the roll eventually ybrings-fthe values in contact-with the body of quicksilver in the bottom of the trough 2,v so thatamalgamation is produced without .direct contact ofthe roll"with the quickisilver, thereby avoiding i'louring of the quicksilver due to grinding of the latter-Ain witlil the-pulp. Suf'cientspace is 'left between .the rolls and the outer wall hof the troughto enable the pulp to flow back at the outside of the rolls, as the rolls'advance 'or plow through the pulp, thereby avoid- -ing piling up of the pulp `in front of the rolls in such manner as to cause undue displacement'and agitation thereof and resulting splashing 'of iiicompletelyv ground pulp over the outlet lip or overfiow. .The motion lof the rolls 7 over the inner face of the t trough 2 is such as to scour andl brighten f said trough the goldr and thereby ymake amalgamation possible `on rusty gold.

The rolls are arrangedgaround'theshaft,

soy that'the pressuresrequired for holding 4.the rolls againstwthe inclined inner wall of the trough' balance one another and there is no lateral pressure on the shaft.

What I'claim is:

l. An ore crushing, grinding and amalgamating mill comprising anannular trough adaptedl to contai'ng'a'4 body "of quicksilver rand having anlinclined inner wall, a shaft mounted to rotate on a` vertical axis coaxial vwith said' annular trough," and?? a roll mounted torevolve with-said shaft and to-` have freedom lof vvertical"*movement7 and supported to frun only on the inclined inner wall ofthe trough, aboveffthe bottom of and `away from the outer wall thereof., v v

2. AnV ore crushing, grinding and amal- .ganiating mill comprising an annular trough 'adapted to containa bodyjfof quicksilver and having an inclined inner wall,'va shaft with said annular.' trough and aplurality of rolls arranged around said axis and mounted tofrevolve with saidy shaft and to run only Ion 'theffin'cliiie'd inneuwall of thetrougli AmountedSto-'rotate on a vertical axis coaxial above the bottom of said trough and away from the outer'wall thereof, the mounting of said rollsy providing for independent 1 vertical movement thereof, `but vholding the rolls against said inner wall, in such manner that the radial stresses due to the several Vrolls 'are balanced with respect to the shaft and there isA no resulting lateral pressure on the shaft. n 1 v i In testimony whereof I 'have hereunto set dayv of November', :1916. p

. A'havin-w. CHURCH.

-Copies of thisl patent. may be obtained' for live cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' f Washington, D. C.

'my hand',"at Barstow, California, this 13 I 

